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Wildlife officers have staked out a Newcastle family's home to discover why a large group of potentially fatal spiders have congregated there.

Mary Rainer from the Australian Reptile Park said the family became concerned and called for help after hundreds of mouse spiders (Missulena bradleyi ) appeared on their lawn over several nights.

The mouse spiders, often mistaken for funnelwebs, have been appearing on the lawn of the home in the Newcastle suburb of Kotara every time it rains or the garden is watered.

Mouse spider expert Dr Laughlin Nash from Monash University in Melbourne said it was very unusual to find such a large group of mouse spiders in one place. He said they usually spread out and live alone in deep, vertical burrows.

Reptile Park officers are trying to catch as many spiders as possible and locate the source of the colony.

Mouse spiders belong to the trapdoor family and are so-called because the first one described was living in a mouse burrow. Their venom is neurotoxic, much like the funnelweb's, and funnelweb anti-venom is effective against their bite. They are about 3cm across with short stocky legs, black shiny head and fangs which strike downwards, like a snake's.

When disturbed, the spiders are very aggressive and will rear back on their legs. Two species are found throughout mainland Australia, but M. bradleyi is restricted largely to Sydney and Newcastle.

But the news on mouse spiders is not all bad. Tonight, the ABC TV science program Quantum covers new research suggesting that mouse spider venom is a source of valuable new neurotoxins. Quantum reports that Melbourne researchers are investigating the mouse spider's venom as the basis of a new type of insecticide.